Robin Kirkham

Executive Principal, ACG Strathallan 

Background

Educated at a British Grammar School in the Peak District of Derbyshire, Robin is the son of a hill farmer and as a result no stranger to hard toil. He graduated from the University of London, King's College in 1981 with a BSc honours in Chemistry. Soon after and with little formal training, he started teaching with Voluntary Service Overseas on the island of St Kitts in the Caribbean. He remained there for three years as head of Science and Mathematics at Cayon High School.

On his return to England in 1986, Robin turned to one of his passions, theatre. He undertook a degree in theatre at Dartington College of Arts, graduating with an honours BA in 1990. During this time he also performed in many cities of Europe with British Events Theatre Company, and Britain, Europe and the Middle East with the Theatre of Public Works.

Having met his wife who is from Johannesburg, Robin moved to South Africa just prior to the country's first free elections. For the next two years he worked for a Street Children's Charity as their Education Co-ordinator. In 1993 he took the post of Head of Science at Woodmead High School in Johannesburg and in 1999 became Deputy Principal at St Peter's College, another Johannesburg private school. Whilst at St Peter's Robin studied at the University of the Witwatersrand and gained a Higher Diploma in Education specialising in the teaching of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. He was a Chief Examiner for the Independent Examinations Board of South Africa.

Robin came to New Zealand as Head of Science at Waiheke High School in August 2002 and was quickly co-opted onto the Senior Management Team. He moved to Botany Downs Secondary College as Deputy Principal in 2005, remaining there until 2010 when he took up the position of Executive Principal at ACG Strathallan. He is currently enrolled in a post graduate course in educational leadership at the University of Auckland.